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"Feds: Chevron Fire Sign of Weak Oversight"

"The fire that destroyed part of Chevron's Richmond refinery happened because weak state regulations allowed the company to monitor rather than simply fix potential problems, federal investigators said Monday."

"'The bottom line,' Rafael Moure-Eraso, chairman of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, 'is that Chevron had resources, time and technical expertise to know the risks. However, there was no effective intervention before the major accident occurred.

'We need a change in how refineries do business in California and nationwide,' Moure-Eraso said, adding that the fire provides a 'unique opportunity' to improve the state's oversight system. 'We hope California serves as a model for change for the rest of the country.'

He added, 'This happened because the regulatory regime allowed it to happen.'"